


Soup With a Side of Feelings

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Caretaking, Chicken Soup, Confessions, Crack, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Sick!Rafael, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22532221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: “What the hell are you doing here, Carisi?,” he asked, his voice so low and weak he was almost embarrassed. “I’m off for the night.”“The Cap said you were coming down with something bad,” Carisi said, pulling a face, then lifted one of the bags. “I brought soup.”Rafael blinked at him. “You brought… soup.”
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 19
Kudos: 77
Collections: Barisi Valentine Prompt Challenge 2020





	Soup With a Side of Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I wrote Rafael as being so difficult while ill, but it just felt very natural for him lmao
> 
> This was for the prompt "soup". Enjoy!

Rafael dragged himself out of bed and made his way to his front door, grunting the whole way there. He was wearing his fuzzy blanket like a cape, holding it closed around his neck. He sniffed, coughed, then grunted again, feeling incredibly sorry for himself.

He had already cursed all generations of whoever was knocking on his door on a late Friday night. After the horrible week he’d had, it was just the juicy cherry on top of the cake that he had ended it bed-ridden by whatever virus had decided to ruin his life. 

Through the whole week, he’d felt it coming; there’d been that little scratchy feeling at the back of his throat, a series of sneezes, sluggish movements and a slow brain, and the occasional coughing fit. Now here he was, a murder machine of germs, feverish and snotty.

Olivia had seen it coming from miles away -- Rafael blamed it on her maternal instincts. She’d told him to slow it down, eat properly and take some vitamins. He definitely did not listen to her at all, and now he truly hated her for being right.

At least she’d taken one look at him during their meeting after lunch and shook her head, telling him to call it a day. “There’s nothing that can’t wait until Monday, Rafa,” Olivia had said, and that paired with the look Carmen had thrown him when he got back to the office had him in the back of an Uber in no time. 

Once he got home, Rafael had barely had any energy in him to take off his suit, but somehow he’d manage to shuck it off and throw on some clean and soft sweatpants. Small mercies.

Which could not be said about the constant pounding on his door.

“Christ,” he croaked, and pulled the door open without even checking who it was through the peep-hole. 

Detective Carisi stood in his doorway with a resolute stance, hands full of bags and a soft smile. Rafael grunted.

“What the hell are you doing here, Carisi?,” he asked, his voice so low and weak he was almost embarrassed. “I’m off for the night.”

“The Cap said you were coming down with something bad,” Carisi said, pulling a face, then lifted one of the bags. “I brought soup.”

Rafael blinked at him. “You brought… soup.” 

The Detective beamed. “Yeah. Will you let me in?”

“How did you even get into the building?,” Rafael asked, watching half-confused as Carisi walked past him and immediately took over his kitchen. 

Carisi shrugged. “I flashed my badge at your doorman and said it was important. Because you know, it is.”

Rafael pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders after closing the door. “How is you bringing me soup important, Carisi?”

“It’s important for your health,” he said as if it were obvious. “Why don’t you get into bed? I’ll bring this to you.”

“I  _ was  _ in bed,” Rafael huffed. “You made me get up.” 

Carisi chuckled. “I brought you food and some vitamins. I’m saving you.”

Rafael grunted louder, already making his way towards the bedroom.

“And put on some socks, Barba!,” Carisi called after him. “You really trying to catch your death, uh?”

As Rafael got into back into bed and closed his eyes, he wondered if maybe he was hallucinating. Maybe the image of Detective Sonny Carisi in his kitchen was something he’d dug up from deep within his brain - or his heart.

Rafael smiled into his pillowcase, amused with himself. That was very creative of him -- conjuring a pretty, sweet Detective to bring him soup and care for him. He sighed, happy to go back to sleep, when suddenly someone turned on his bedside table light.

“What,” he blinked, looking around to find that Detective Carisi was, indeed, standing in his bedroom. “What are you doing here, Carisi?”

“We’ve already established that,” Carisi waved a hand. “You didn’t put on any socks.”

“Why are you so annoying about socks?!,” Rafael complained. “Leave my feet alone!”

“Why are you so stubborn?,” he asked with his hands on his hips. “Jesus Christ, you’re ill, Barba! Can you chill out for half an hour while I try to make you more comfortable?!”

Rafael sat up, annoyed. “Since when do you care?”

Carisi frowned at him. “When have I ever given you the impression that I  _ don’t _ ?” 

“God, you’re infuriating!,” Rafael said dramatically, then flopped back into his bed. After a couple beats of silence, he said, voice muffled, “Socks are in the third drawer in my wardrobe.”

“Can I grab a pair or are you gonna flip out again?,” he asked, a hint of a tease in his voice. Rafael waved a hand at him, but said nothing.

He was just about to fall asleep again when he felt Carisi push the cover up to his ankles and put socks over his feet delicately, squeezing his toes in a comforting gesture when he was done. Rafael couldn’t hold back the pleased sigh that escaped him when he was covered again.

“There, isn’t that better?,” he heard Carisi say, sounding pretty smug. 

“Yes, Carisi, you’re great at putting socks on half-conscious people. You can go now,” Rafael huffed, but he didn’t actually want Carisi to leave.

“I’m gonna let that slide because you’re ill,” Carisi said with a chuckle. “But just so you know, you’re not funny. I’ll be right back with some soup.” 

With that, Carisi left, Rafael staring after him with a slight frown. Seriously, what the hell was Carisi doing taking care of him as if they were… anything else other than co-workers? Rafael didn’t want to believe there was anything more between them. There couldn’t be.

Even if sometimes their looks lingered, even if Carisi’s fingers sometimes brushed lightly over his shoulder, over his lapel, close to his fluttering heart. Even if his need for Rafael’s approval was so strong it was borderline inappropriate with the way he tripped over himself to please the ADA.

Even if sometimes Rafael caught himself watching Carisi; the way he cocked his hips, his wide stance, the way his arms looked when he rolled up his sleeves, the sharp line of his jaw, his pink pout, his impossibly bright blue eyes. He liked to watch Carisi leave a room the same way he liked it when he barged in with unprompted tidbits. 

And now here he was, in Rafael’s apartment, dominating his kitchen like he belonged there, taking care of Rafael like he belonged with him. And Rafael’s heart  _ ached. _

“Here we go, Counselor,” Carisi said in a sing-songy voice as he walked back in with his hands full. “Are you ready for the best chicken soup you’ll ever have?”

Rafael couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s chicken soup, Carisi.”

“You’ll thank me,” he said with a lopsided grin that made him look so goddamn charming Rafael wanted to scream. 

Carisi gently handed him the bowl and a spoon, and Rafael’s arms shook as he tried to hold it all in a firm grasp. Jesus, he really was ill. 

“You got it?,” Carisi asked quietly, eyes soft as Rafael rested the bowl in his lap. 

“I’m fine,” Rafael huffed again, then concentrated on bringing a spoonful of soup up to his mouth. Thankfully, he managed not to embarrassing himself too much.

Rafael felt his taste buds sing the moment the soup touched his tongue. It was perfectly seasoned and warm, which his achy body appreciated immensely. His body melted back into his cushions, comfort washing over him and relaxing him. 

He had never thought he could become so engrossed while eating chicken soup, but when he lifted his head again, the bowl was empty.

Carisi was standing by his side, hands on his hips, almost looking like he was on guard. “You think you can keep that down okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Rafael repeated, half-annoyed, half-amused. 

“Okay, so let me go grab some vitamins and a glass of water,” Carisi said, then made to leave again.

“Carisi, it’s Friday night, we’ve had the longest week of work ever,” Rafael said, tilting his head. “How do you find the energy to care so much about everyone?” 

“I don’t care about  _ everyone,”  _ he said sheepishly, then shrugged when Rafael threw him a look. “Okay maybe I do, but I’m here because I care about you the most.”

Rafael blinked up at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“You… don’t know?,” Carisi stammered. “All this time, you don’t know how I feel about you?”

“You never said anything, I--,” he paused, shocked by Carisi’s words and the gentleness in his face as he took a step closer to the bed.

“Rollins and Amaro make fun of me all the damn time because of my crush on you, you never noticed?,” Carisi chuckled, ducking his head.

Rafael blinked again, and he was sure he looked ridiculous in his disbelief. This just  _ had  _ to be a hallucination. “You have a crush on me?”

“That sounds a bit juvenile, don’t you think?,” Carisi let out a self-deprecating laugh, then sighed. “Yeah, I do.”

“And you waited until I was slightly feverish, snotty and full of germs to tell me?,” Rafael laughed lightly, shaking his head.

“Feverish?,” Carisi frowned, immediately reaching over to feel Rafael’s forehead. “Yeah, you’re definitely a bit warm. Where’s your thermometer?”

He was thrown back by the sudden change in topic. “Carisi, we should talk about what you just said. I’m--”

“And we will, but when you’re healthy again, okay?,” Sonny interrupted, his eyes going soft. “I’ll run you a bath. Have you got any Ibuprofen?”

“Fine,” Rafael tsked, sagging back into bad. “The thermometer is in the bathroom cabinet, there’s a purple plastic box with medicine there, too. And bring me more soup before you run me a goddamn bath, will you?”

Sonny beamed at him. “I told you you’d like it.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at him, but smiled fondly. “It is very good, but mostly I want a speedy recovery.” 

“Me too, Rafael,” he said meaningfully, and leaned down to press a soft, gentle kiss to his forehead. 

Rafael saw the adoring look on Sonny’s face before he turned to leave the room again, and then he was distracted by watching the Detective go. He couldn’t wait to get his back to his full health. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, so don't forget to leave a lil comment and a kudo PLEASE <3 <3


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